Molly PalmerLondon, England

Artist's Statement

I use green screen compositing to transport protagonists into layered video worlds, where music, choreography and dialogue form cyclical narratives that explore the strangeness concealed within ordinary things. Having previously juggled music, writing, painting and sculpture as separate practices, video allows me to work fluidly between processes in a way that unifies and transforms each element.

Moving between different processes in the studio catalyses connections between them. It links characters, builds narrative and forms symbolic motifs. Set-building, prop-making, writing, composition and choreography are all connected, feeding off each other like organisms in an ecosystem.

I want to create spaces within and around the films that are strange yet familiar; worlds that are often funny, bewildering and beautiful but also disorienting, emotionally enigmatic and occasionally sad or frightening. My work is not intended as fantasy, but rather a step sideways into a parallel reality - a place to examine and enjoy the complexity and absurdity of being human.

Everything in the films is hand made and I want that to be obvious. I want flaws and eccentricities to remain visible. I’m interested in the gaps that this leaves the imagination – in the viewer’s ability to form their own connections. The same applies to the soundtracks, which I approach as compositions. I react to recording mistakes and idiosyncrasies in postproduction, articulating and manipulating unexpected sounds.

I’ve started using surround sound to create spatial effects that activate the films emotionally and physically. I’m also developing a body of work that is purely sound-based, some of which can be performed live. I will be presenting a surround sound piece as part of an event curated by David Gryn for Art Basel Miami Beach 2017 during my stay at Fountainhead Residency.